The aim of the recently completed EU project FENIX was to expand and support a federated network of transport and logistics actors, enabling them to share information and use existing data more easily. The research project established necessary standards, networks and platforms for digital logistics. Large shippers in particular see this as an opportunity to implement their strategies for more CO₂-friendly, so-called green logistics.  The digital logistics network concept was implemented through eleven pilot projects along the TEN-T corridors, a trans-European network of transport corridors. The measurements showed that CO₂ emissions are reduced by more than 22 percent on average because of implementing the project.

As part of the FENIX project, which received funding of 60 million euros, 48 project partners involved in 11 major pilot projects developed the first federated architecture for data sharing serving the European logistics community. Shippers, logistics service providers, mobility infrastructure providers, cities and public authorities will benefit from the interoperability between all individual existing and future platforms. Intermodal solutions are particularly important here. The particular success of this major project is the creation of a technical and regulatory environment for data sharing and interoperability between existing and new platforms. A solution which perfectly addresses the needs of all transport and logistics actors as part of a newly created transportation landscape.

Federated network of actors  

By encouraging the networking of different stakeholders and linking and combining existing transport networks, both shippers and logistics service providers can intelligently combine their networks at different levels and use transport corridors more efficiently to cut their CO₂ emissions.

Fred Westdijk, CEO of Jan de Rijk Logistics, emphasizes the importance of networking: “Intermodal transportation is very important to achieving our environmental goals. And linking our APS with that of our suppliers is essential to making this work.”

Limited infrastructure today – but not tomorrow

International transportation has always been struggling with increasing demands on the one hand and limited opportunities and limited infrastructure on the other. The FENIX project was set up in response to this challenge. It counters this limitation with digital solutions. Fred Westdijk sums up: “We can’t change the limited transportation infrastructure, such as the insufficient number of tracks or terminals. But these research projects help change how this infrastructure is used – through modal shift and networking, for example. Data are the key: They allow us to cooperate, to link existing systems and to encourage community building.”

The public closing event of the project took place on February 8 at the P&G INQBet campus in Grimbergen, Belgium.